Iran : Discover the country's culture

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Music

'Iran: percussions' by Madjid Khaladj.

Iran : Discover the country's history

Historical dates

550 BC: Cyrus II chased away the Medes and founded the Persian Empire.330 BC: domination of Alexander the Great.224 BC: the Sassanide Empire settle for close to half of the millenium.642: arrival of the Arabs.999: arrival of Seldjoukide Turks.1501: rise of the first Shah, Isma'il I.1925: Reza Khan founded the Pahlavi dynasty and set about modernising the country.1941: Mohammed Reza took over power and, not ready to share it, decided to keep it for thirty eight years.1979: Khomeyni toppled the Shah and instituted the Islamic Republic, under the protection of the militia of guardians of the revolution (pasdaran). People taken hostage at the American Embassy in Teheran for a long period1980: beginning of the war with Iraq.1989: death of Ayatollah Khomeyni. Rafsandjani became President.1995: the United States unilaterally decreed a trade embargo, while Europe was less severe.1997: Mohammad Khatami becames President. He is in favour of some political freedom.End of 1998: disappearance and murder of several Iranian intellectuals.June 2001: the Iranian President and reformer Mohammad Khatami was re-elected with 77% of the votes.26 December 2003: an earthquake measuring about 6.5 on Richter's scale destroys the town of Bam in the south if Iran. It killed 41,000 people. June 2005: the ultra-conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won the presidential elections.

Iran : Stay up to date on the country's holidays and events

Events

January: Anniversary of Imam Reza.February: Eid-ul-Adha.February: Day of Revolution.February: El am Hejir.March: Ashura - Muharrum.March: Day of the Nationalisation of Oil.March: Noruz.April: Day of the Islamic Republic.April 2004: Sizdah-bedar (end of Noruz).April: Arba'in-e Hosseini.April: Anniversary of the death of the Prophet and Matyrdom of Imam Hassan.25 April: Celebration of American humiliation.May: Eid-Milad Nnabi.May: Anniversary of the Prophet and Imam Sadeq.June: Anniversary of the death of Imam Khomeini.June: Anniversary of the uprising against the Shah.August: Farsi New Year.August: Samvantsari.August: Anniversay of Iman Ali.September: Ascension of Mohammed.September: Anniversary of Imam Mahdi.November: Martyrdom of Imam Ali.November: Qud Day.December: Martyrdom of Imam Sadeq.December: Anniversary of Imam Reza.

Iranians operature under the Islamic calendar which is lunar, therefore dates of their celebrations change year on year according to our Gregorian calendar.

On 19 May 2008, Easyvoyage signed a 15-point code of ethics guaranteeing transparency of information for the consumer. The code, which was signed by all the major holiday comparison sites, was supported by FEVAD (France's federation of e-commerce and long distance sales), and by the French secretary of state, Eric Besson.

Book early to find the cheapest flights. Unlike holiday packages, where you can often find great last minute deals, the cheapest flights tend to be those booked in advance. Many low cost airlines bump up their prices as the flight gets nearer, especially on key European routes.

Set a budget and be opportunistic when it comes to your choice of destination. Attractive last-minute deals can occasionally be found, but are not to be relied on. For example, if a flight is less than 60% full a week before departure, airlines might launch last-minute sales on the remaining seats. This practice is common on major routes in the Mediterranean. However, unlike booking in advance, there's no guarantee that there'll be seats available, meaning you risk missing out on a holiday altogether!